1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to washing machines and more particularly to a method for washing, drying and sanitizing produce.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Faggard et al., U.S. Pat. No. D300,573, discloses a design for a dishwasher. Rich, U.S. 2003/0079761, discloses a hands-free, electrically operated food washing and preparation device having a fluid dispenser, such as a reservoir, a wash compartment, a motor-driven agitator, a removable food basket, and a drain for removing soiled fluid from the device. Also provided is a variety of adaptable food processing attachments for the processing of food.
Haslam, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 2,326,356, discloses a vegetable washing device comprising in combination a stationary drum adapted to receive vegetables to be washed, a water spray therein, a rotatable plate in the bottom of the drum for supporting the vegetables, ridges on the plate sloping from high portions near the circumference to low portions near its center, a rotatable brush mounted on a vertical shaft centrally of the drum above the plate, means for rotating the plate and the brush whereby the vegetables will be tumbled inwardly against the rotating brush by the ridges and sprayed during the brushing operation.
Suelflow, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 2,412,430, discloses a vegetable washing machine having a casing provided with a support adapted for mounting upon a water tank, comprising stirrups projecting from the side walls of the washing machine casing, horizontally positioned arms slidably mounted in the stirrups, means securing the arms in an adjusted position in the stirrups; jaws at the outer ends of the arms for engagement with one edge of a water tank, and vertically disposed supporting legs adjustably secured to the casing of the washing machine adapted to rest upon the bottom of a water tank.
Butter, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,333, discloses a multi-purpose washer having motor drive means, a main housing having an upper portion defining a tub, a rotatable container for material to be cleaned disposed in the tub and having one member of a rapid fastening means at the lower end thereof, a base for supporting the main housing and the container, a bottom and support plate in the main housing defining the bottom at the lower end of the tub and having the motor drive means secured to the lower side thereof, a drive means housing secured to the bottom of the support plate around the drive means, a plurality of rotatable studs having driving connections below the bottom side with the motor drive means and extending therefrom in sealed condition through the bottom and support plate, one of the studs having a member defining another member of the rapid fastening means adjacent to top side of the bottom and support plate and adjacent the lower end of the container for engagement with the one member and operative to support and rotate the container, and another of the studs being disposed at a lower level than the one of the studs for supporting an exchangeable rotatable upwardly extending material treating device below the lower end of the container.
Kelly, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,334, discloses a vegetable cleaner with an outer casing, a container within the casing for the vegetables to be cleaned, the container having a bottom and a side wall, a drive plate, means mounting the drive plate for rotation horizontally below the container and connectable to be motor driven, a series of conical discs, shafts on which the discs are mounted, means mounting the shafts in the container wall with the discs disposed within the container spaced at intervals facing inward and the shafts projecting outwardly of the container, and wheels on the outward portions of the shafts engaging to be frictionally driven by the drive plate.
Reid, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,051, discloses an apparatus for effectively washing food articles of many different varieties, especially fruits and vegetables, which conveniently can be used as a household appliance. The washing apparatus is comprised of a container for housing the food articles, an agitation system and washing system for removing undesired foreign materials from the surface of the food articles without causing bruising or damage, and a discharge system.
Cook, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,080, discloses an apparatus for tumbling and cleaning articles such as rocks, clams, potatoes, other vegetables and fruits, and the like. The apparatus has a frame with a container mounted for free rotation thereon. The container has perimetric surfaces with numerous openings therethrough for allowing an impinging jet of water or other liquid to wash the articles and carry dirt away. Fins are advantageously provided about the container for engaging the jet of liquid to thereby rotate the container so that articles being cleaned are tumbled therein. Brushing devices are included within the container to aid in removal of soil from the articles as they tumble against the brushes.
Jacobson, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,241, discloses a device for drying food products such as vegetables by aeration. The device includes a container having a domed cover and housing a network of tubing having a plurality of apertures through which compressed air is discharged for drying food products supported within said container in a mesh basket. The dome-shaped cover enhances air circulation by re-directing upward flowing air back down toward the enclosed food product causing certain foods such as lettuce to tumble in the resulting air stream. A pressure relief valve operates to limit pressure within the container and allow the escape of moisture laden air. In an alternate embodiment water is first allowed to flow through the tubing network and out of the tube apertures for washing the enclosed food product.
Rich, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,257, discloses a hands-free, electrically operated food washing device having a fluid dispenser, such as a reservoir, a wash compartment, a motor-driven agitator, a removable food basket, and a drain for removing soiled fluid from the device. Also provided are controls allowing a user to vary wash cycle parameters.
Leblond, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,590, discloses a device for cleaning and sanitizing objects such as food products, cartridge filter elements and other such objects that could benefit from the advantages of being circumferentially sprayed with a fluid or a cleaning solution or preferably a combination thereof. The present invention comprises an inner and outer housing body, a cover for the housing body, a rotative central member such as a base, axle or shaft, a rotative drive means for selectively rotating the rotative member, intake means to introduce one or more fluids or solutions individually or in combination into the interior of the housing body including a means for further pressurizing and peripherally directing the resulting spray towards a central point in a specific array, a containment means for placement of such items therein, and an outlet means to provide for the removal of fluid from the housing.
Talisman, U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,818, discloses a refrigerated automatic fruit and vegetable washer that washes fruits and/or vegetables and stores them in a cool environment after they have been washed. A portable self-contained embodiment has a cabinet that sits on a countertop and contains a water spray system and a thermoelectric cooling system and sits on a kitchen countertop and has water inlet and drain hoses releasably connected to the sink faucet. Another self-contained embodiment fits into a lower storage compartment of a refrigerator and can be removed and placed on the countertop for the washing operation. A built-in cabinet embodiment is permanently installed in the kitchen. A wash-only embodiment is slidably received in the lower portion of a refrigerator in place of the existing vegetable crisper to be cooled by the refrigerator cooling system and is removed therefrom and placed on a countertop for the washing operation. The fruit and vegetable washer may also be built into a refrigerator as an integral component of the refrigerator.
Berke et al., U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,654, discloses a sonic fruit and vegetable washer for removing inorganic impurities and pathogens from a variety of raw fruit and vegetables. The sonic fruit and vegetable washer is comprised of a housing, a removable basket, a liquid dispenser, a filter, a sonic generator, a spray head, hydraulic values, electrical controls, a blower, and a heating element. The washer is connected to an existing faucet, and drains into a conventional kitchen sink. During a typical operation, the controls are adjusted for a particular fruit or vegetable, a fruit or vegetable is loaded into the basket, and a small amount of a preservative, cleaning agent, sweetener or vitamin or mineral is added and electrical power is applied. Water enters the washer, is filtered, and one or more wash and rinse cycles are completed. The sonic generator is active during the wash and rinse cycles to remove and flush contaminants from the washer. Thereafter, a drying cycle is completed.
Corazza, WO 99/35945, discloses an apparatus for washing vegetable foodstuffs, comprising agitator means for bringing about relative motion between the vegetables immersed in a washing fluid and the washing fluid itself, characterized in that the agitator means comprise a compressed-air generator and a diffuser which diffuses the air in the washing fluid and which can be placed in the fluid beneath the vegetables being treated so that the compressed air bubbling through the fluid brings about the relative motion.
The related art described above discloses produce washers. However, the prior art fails to disclose such a washing machine with a rotating spray arm positioned between upper and lower baskets and capable of spraying both baskets simultaneously. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art by such method step providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.